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Sometimes, it's not all bad news
What could have been a disastrous logistical nightmare for Bath County High School students and staff has, so far, been as good as it gets. With weeks of renovation projects successfully accomplished and more to come, the faculty has managed to do the job of teaching well in spite of the moved classrooms, dust and noise, and general contracting chaos. Administrators, particularly principal Pete Pitard, planned ahead for the trouble and it appears the advance work has paid off.
The architects, engineers and school staff focused on details like impact-resistant drywall and increased security at entrances. Mertz was finished before the beginning of the school year, and construction plans allow for continued use of one floor of the high school while the other is renovated.
Parking was expected to cause a great deal of headaches, with more than half the lot taken up by temporary classrooms and construction materials, but Pitard and a local contractor solved most of the problem by painting spaces.
Student safety could have been an issue at the road crossing between the main building and the classrooms in the parking lot. Along came the Virginia Department of Transportation with timely work to widen the road and create two-way traffic, thus giving students a traffic-free zone.
The students and staff have responded to the challenges with enthusiasm and innovation, and though she may have exaggerated a bit, school board student representative Samantha Whitson said this week that everyone is "perfectly contented."
As with any project of such scope, not everything has gone smoothly. A roofing contractor had a fatal fall early on. Until recently, school board members have continued to be concerned with progress on the roof and whether it would meet its schedule.
Drainage in the courtyard and around the building in general has been addressed, but questions remain about whether that issue is really solved. Run-off from heavy storms has been a problem for the building and property practically since the first structure was constructed on the site. This time, everyone expects those issues will be solved.
In addition to the well-run renovation project under way, Bath schools have hit some high points lately in general. All three schools are fully SOL accredited. Not just barely accredited, but in many ways exceptionally so.
While the state doesn't have any "degrees" of accreditation, Bath schools scored well above the minimum in almost every category and have been doing so for the past three years. Millboro Elementary grade 3 history students scored 100 percent, leaving little room for improvement and a lofty goal for coming years.
Moreover, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools have accredited all three county schools. The division has now been invited to participate in division level accreditation, which expands the scope while consolidating the process and recognizing consistent previous performance.
Not all is well, of course. There are still issues with AYP scores pointing to some specific needs within specific groups of students. The athletic program still lacks a track and on-campus location for weight training. The yearlong process to update discipline procedures is complete and the coming year will tell whether revised policies keep Bath schools a safe place to teach and learn.
But the schools seem to at least recognize where improvements are required. If priorities are centered on educating children, goals can be met in the right order. In the meantime, it's good to see the bright spots when they arise.
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